Excessive wear halts testing
source:
irl.racing-live.com
Issues with the new pavement at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway that resulted in a two-day Firestone tire test being halted less
than a day in to a two day test have now affected a Goodyear tire test for
NASCAR Nextel Cup teams.
Goodyear was to have its first test of the year at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway to prepare for the August Brickyard 400 next week. The speedway has
decided to do further work on the new pavement though.
"The Goodyear Tire test is being postponed. There will be
some more grinding work done on the track beginning next Monday," Ron
Green, IMS Director of Public Relations, said Friday morning.
The first cars to actually test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway following the
complete repaving of the 2.5 mile oval track was the Menards Infiniti Pro Series
last month. The Pro Series cars tested on the track's road course, which
incorporates just a portion of the legendary oval.
Pro Series drivers Marco Andretti and Al Unser noted that the new pavement was
very slick, compared to the road course pavement. Andretti actually spun on his
first lap and the new pavement. Andretti and Unser said they expected as more
cars got on the new pavement that it would gain more grip.
The first test on the entire newly paved oval was scheduled to be a private
Firestone test Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. The test though was halted
early Tuesday afternoon. Sam Hornish Jr. was reported to have turned the fastest
lap, around 219.